Resistance of the Weak: The Invention of Dragon Dance Performance (Fri. March 1, 2019)
The Boston University Anthropology Graduate Lunch Seminar series presents
Resistance of the Weak: The Invention of Dragon Dance Performance in a Chinese Village in the Process of Urbanization
by Professor Chuanfei Tu, School of Sports, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics
Folk sports culture in China includes the story of a dragon dance, invented in a village in southern China in the urbaniza
tion wave. The invention of this dance demonstrates the villagers’ attempt to protect their own legal interests and resist the negative impact of urbanization through political resistance against the forces of developers and local government. When the threat of demolition and relocation of the village was alleviated, the dragon dance remained as an open and collective activity to protect the interests of villagers, while it has hidden meanings reflecting survival ethics and “simple folk wisdom.” Based on this ethnographic case, the paper reflects on James Scott’s theory of “weapons of the weak” believing that the theory underestimates the degree of the organization of resistance from the weak while exaggerates its degree of harm and over-simplifies its form of expression.
tion wave. The invention of this dance demonstrates the villagers’ attempt to protect their own legal interests and resist the negative impact of urbanization through political resistance against the forces of developers and local government. When the threat of demolition and relocation of the village was alleviated, the dragon dance remained as an open and collective activity to protect the interests of villagers, while it has hidden meanings reflecting survival ethics and “simple folk wisdom.” Based on this ethnographic case, the paper reflects on James Scott’s theory of “weapons of the weak” believing that the theory underestimates the degree of the organization of resistance from the weak while exaggerates its degree of harm and over-simplifies its form of expression.Professor Tu studies sports culture in religion and ritual, based in the anthropology of sport and sport history. He published the monograph “Rural Sports Culture Change: The Inspiration of the Change of Dragon Dance in a Chinese Village” (Beijing Sports University Press, 2011) among many other publications.
Note: Please contact Professor Merry White (corky@bu.edu) by 5 pm Feb. 26 if lunch is desired.